Thanks to all the terrible rain we got on Saturday and my complete lack of motivation to go anywhere near cardio exercise equipment, I spent most of that day around my apartment thinking about how much it sucked not to be in Boston.
I was certainly not going to spend another day doing that. Despite 10-20mph winds with gusts up to 30mph, I decided it was time for a real long bike ride. I cleaned my bike Saturday including the chain and put fresh lubricant on it, so it was time to take it for another spin!
I created three loops of varying length that added up to 50 miles. My plan was to drive to the Pretty Boy Reservoir area, park right in the middle of the place and do each loop in succession, stopping at my car to refuel each time. My bike has room to carry more than the one water bottle I have right now, but I've been too cheap to go buy more holders, so this was my compromise. I got started at about 9:50AM. About 45 to 50 minutes later, I got through the first 12-ish mile loop. That place is like a roller coaster with massive hills. These hills are certainly no joke and I was already pretty tired. I was largely shielded from the wind thanks to trees but every once in a while, I would into a bad head wind which was almost as bad as riding uphill anyway.
After some refueling, I attempted to start my second loop but got semi lost and ended up in PA (as I found out once I checked the map). I was never truly lost, because all I had to do was double back on the road I went out on. At that point, I was probably close to 30 miles total. As it turns out, the cue sheet I printed out from mapmyrun.com told me to take a right when it should have said to take a left. I tried to figure out why it said "right" but could only conclude that their software completely messed up. Good thing I didn't pay to print it out and just used the print screen trick instead...
After getting back to my car, I refueled and made a second attempt at finding this loop. Once again I came up empty, but only went a few miles out of my way. I decided instead to just follow the loop backwards. After some hellish hills and a lot more riding in the open (i.e. lots more wind, and really bad crosswind too!), I started to loop back around to my car. I ended up taking a wrong turn when I was quite close to getting back and ended up adding some pretty serious distance. After going a few extra miles out of the way and using my judgement on direction, I eventually made it back to my car. Apparently, I can only pull up a map on my crappy cell phone by searching for a place of business. I can't just enter a street corner. Honestly, if cell phone companies are going to program their non-smart phones this way, why even bother having features like this? I'm not going to buy a smart phone, so just leave the programming out; the half ass features are not going to convince me to buy one. Next time I'll take a compass. It's really unfortunate that our reliance on GPS has made it nearly impossible to buy good road maps anywhere (my preferred method of navigation).
I like using maps because every single person I have ever met who uses GPS all the time has absolutely no clue where anything is or how to go anywhere. But I'll get off my soap box now...
Thanks to my handful of detours, I didn't need to bother with my 3rd loop and ended up with approximately 51 miles for the day, in about 4.5 to 5 hours. Certainly less than 12mph is a bit slow but I still suck at riding up big hills, I ride a heavy hybrid, and it was windy. I've learned that cyclists can actually blame their equipment and riding conditions much more than runners can! I also know my way around that area pretty well now, and will make sure to do a good check on mapmyrun cue sheets since they are completely unreliable for even basic turn directions.
Now I just need to get through Monday without going crazy, then hopefully, get back to running!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Tough Week
At 12:42 today I should have been on a plane to Boston. Instead, I'm in Baltimore. The day the doctor first told me of my injury was a really bad day. I was out of it the rest of that day and part of the next. I actually completely forgot where I parked my car that evening and the next morning forgot one of my passwords at work. By that afternoon I moved on and accepted my circumstances.
Things were ok for a while, I was cross training hard, riding the bike, keeping Boston out of mind. But now that it's race weekend, I haven't been extremely pleased these last few days. To make matters worse, I've become so sick of using cardio equipment that I can't bring myself to do another minute on an elliptical or any other device.
My pride took another shot this morning. I threw my name into the mix to be a pacer for the Baltimore Marathon, but due to my injury, the organizer (and rightfully so) is hesitant to accept me, especially for the faster paces. Apparently, I'll be lucky to get in with the 3:30 group. I completely understand and am not angry, but rather upset with myself that people may not see me as the ultra reliable, unbreakable runner I once was. I think I can relate to the phrase "what have you done for me lately" that elite athletes have to deal with.
Going forward, I'm going to use my bike more and back off the cardio equipment for now. I actually started doing one of the strength training circuits they have at my gym and will go with an every other day type of thing for that since it will certainly help me.
This Wednesday I see the doctor again. I can already hop on my bad leg without feeling any pain. If I get cleared to run, my next demon is going to be my own self-doubt. Right up until my injury, I was so confident in myself and in such good shape that it really never mattered how I felt before or during a run, I would just suck it up and hit the pace I needed. Even in that B&A Half where I felt off for the first half, I just stuck with it until my body hit a groove and ran the second half hard.
I wonder what it's going to be like when I start up again...
Things were ok for a while, I was cross training hard, riding the bike, keeping Boston out of mind. But now that it's race weekend, I haven't been extremely pleased these last few days. To make matters worse, I've become so sick of using cardio equipment that I can't bring myself to do another minute on an elliptical or any other device.
My pride took another shot this morning. I threw my name into the mix to be a pacer for the Baltimore Marathon, but due to my injury, the organizer (and rightfully so) is hesitant to accept me, especially for the faster paces. Apparently, I'll be lucky to get in with the 3:30 group. I completely understand and am not angry, but rather upset with myself that people may not see me as the ultra reliable, unbreakable runner I once was. I think I can relate to the phrase "what have you done for me lately" that elite athletes have to deal with.
Going forward, I'm going to use my bike more and back off the cardio equipment for now. I actually started doing one of the strength training circuits they have at my gym and will go with an every other day type of thing for that since it will certainly help me.
This Wednesday I see the doctor again. I can already hop on my bad leg without feeling any pain. If I get cleared to run, my next demon is going to be my own self-doubt. Right up until my injury, I was so confident in myself and in such good shape that it really never mattered how I felt before or during a run, I would just suck it up and hit the pace I needed. Even in that B&A Half where I felt off for the first half, I just stuck with it until my body hit a groove and ran the second half hard.
I wonder what it's going to be like when I start up again...
Monday, April 11, 2011
Cross Training Takes Too Long
I've come to the realization that I'm actually spending more time cross training than I do running. I have also realized that things are a lot less flexible than usual.
I was unable to get anything done Friday (which is why I have to default to riding my bike to work so I at least get something in everyday!). However, I certainly made up for it Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, I rode a quick 2 miles to the meet up point for the weekend Back on my Feet long run. After they all started, I rode over to the gym and hit their cardio equipment hard for 2 hours:
65 minutes on the elliptical
30 minutes on the arc trainer
25 minutes on the stationary bike
Afterward, I rode back to the long run meet up point and swept one of their 10 mile loops looking for straggling runners, then rode home. All in all, I biked about 16 miles. In the afternoon, I met up with a running partner to do some biking around the Pretty Boy Reservoir. I ended up doing about 13 miles of some of the hilliest riding I've done. He completely kicked my ass too. Of course, he did have a road bike and cycling experience while I only had a heavy hybrid and arrogance. However, it was good to get humbled (and know what it must be like to run with me). I also learned a thing or two about proper pedaling, and even got to try out clipless bike pedals which are more efficient than standard platform pedals. By clipping your feet to the pedal, you can transfer much more power to the bike at all points in the pedal arc. I'm already hooked (no pun intended) and will be buying clipless pedals and shoes really soon.
On Sunday, I went for the same 40 mile ride I did last week, but this time did it in 3 hours instead of 3:30. I then went to the gym and managed 30 minutes on the elliptical, but I could feel it in my legs! I focused on going hard uphill and pedaling (rather than braking) on downhills. Compared to Pretty Boy, the "hills" on the BWI airport loop, the B&A Trail, and Richie Highway approaching Annapolis are a joke. However, I flew over them much more efficiently and quickly than last week. Once I get those new pedals, I should really be able to put some power into my drive train. I'm looking to bump that long ride to 50 or 55 miles next week. I just have to find that much space to ride...
On Monday, I also had no time to X-train (more reason why I need to bike to work 5 days a week). Tuesday I should be able to make up for it. My bike is in the shop for a warranty tune up; my rear brake is quite loose and my 6th/7th gear seem off. All of this is normal during the "break in period" for a bicycle. I also blew out another tire right by the stem while doing a pre-ride inspection (it was probably already damaged). I guess those inspections do help!
Now that I have basic bike maintenance down such as cleaning the chain, keeping the bike clean, lubing the chain, and changing flats, I'm going to try and learn about some of the basic tune up stuff so I can save time instead of driving my bike to a shop and loosing it for a day!
I was unable to get anything done Friday (which is why I have to default to riding my bike to work so I at least get something in everyday!). However, I certainly made up for it Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, I rode a quick 2 miles to the meet up point for the weekend Back on my Feet long run. After they all started, I rode over to the gym and hit their cardio equipment hard for 2 hours:
65 minutes on the elliptical
30 minutes on the arc trainer
25 minutes on the stationary bike
Afterward, I rode back to the long run meet up point and swept one of their 10 mile loops looking for straggling runners, then rode home. All in all, I biked about 16 miles. In the afternoon, I met up with a running partner to do some biking around the Pretty Boy Reservoir. I ended up doing about 13 miles of some of the hilliest riding I've done. He completely kicked my ass too. Of course, he did have a road bike and cycling experience while I only had a heavy hybrid and arrogance. However, it was good to get humbled (and know what it must be like to run with me). I also learned a thing or two about proper pedaling, and even got to try out clipless bike pedals which are more efficient than standard platform pedals. By clipping your feet to the pedal, you can transfer much more power to the bike at all points in the pedal arc. I'm already hooked (no pun intended) and will be buying clipless pedals and shoes really soon.
On Sunday, I went for the same 40 mile ride I did last week, but this time did it in 3 hours instead of 3:30. I then went to the gym and managed 30 minutes on the elliptical, but I could feel it in my legs! I focused on going hard uphill and pedaling (rather than braking) on downhills. Compared to Pretty Boy, the "hills" on the BWI airport loop, the B&A Trail, and Richie Highway approaching Annapolis are a joke. However, I flew over them much more efficiently and quickly than last week. Once I get those new pedals, I should really be able to put some power into my drive train. I'm looking to bump that long ride to 50 or 55 miles next week. I just have to find that much space to ride...
On Monday, I also had no time to X-train (more reason why I need to bike to work 5 days a week). Tuesday I should be able to make up for it. My bike is in the shop for a warranty tune up; my rear brake is quite loose and my 6th/7th gear seem off. All of this is normal during the "break in period" for a bicycle. I also blew out another tire right by the stem while doing a pre-ride inspection (it was probably already damaged). I guess those inspections do help!
Now that I have basic bike maintenance down such as cleaning the chain, keeping the bike clean, lubing the chain, and changing flats, I'm going to try and learn about some of the basic tune up stuff so I can save time instead of driving my bike to a shop and loosing it for a day!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
When will I get this bike thing down?
I think I have had enough experiences over the past few weeks to write a freaking book:
"Cycling for Runners: Your Body is Less Tempremental."
It's not that I have a bad bike, it's actually really nice. The real issue is I'm riding that poor thing a ton and don't fully know what I'm doing in terms of taking care of it (and in some cases, myself). However, I've learned a lot and continue to do so!
With the nasty storm I got caught in on Saturday, and another on Monday, I was beginning to realize that maybe my chain was not in good condition. I had also ridden on the NCR trail a few times and really got my bike dirty. All this probably contributed to gunking up my chain. Combine that with the fact that I have put some good mileage on my bike in a short time, and that chain really needed some attention.
So I went and spent yet more money on supplies. I bought a hard bristled brush, some degreaser, and some chain lube (both dry and wet). I spent about two hours completely cleaning my chain and the rest of my bike's drive train. I then went and applied dry lube which repels dirt better than wet lube, but washes off easier in the rain.
Today riding to work was so much easier. I was easily 3-5 gears higher the entire time and pedaling was just so fluid. Part of that may have been because I took Wednesday off to give my legs a breather, but the difference was so dramatic that the clean chain had to play a role. Looking at my chain and drive train, you can even see how much cleaner it is now.
So yet another lesson learned.
After a day off Wednesday, I rode to work (27 minutes, very, very close to the time it takes me to drive), rode to the MAC, did 65 minutes on the elliptical and another 20 on the arc trainer, then rode home.
I'm getting more comfortable riding in the city and have learned that "taking the lane" as they say is actually better than staying as far right as possible. It forces cars to only pass you when they truly have enough room. It also lets you avoid the perils of the side of the road, and parked car doors opening. It helps that in decent traffic I can pedal hard enough to go the same speed as cars now!
Biking through the city is truly faster (and cheaper) than driving.
"Cycling for Runners: Your Body is Less Tempremental."
It's not that I have a bad bike, it's actually really nice. The real issue is I'm riding that poor thing a ton and don't fully know what I'm doing in terms of taking care of it (and in some cases, myself). However, I've learned a lot and continue to do so!
With the nasty storm I got caught in on Saturday, and another on Monday, I was beginning to realize that maybe my chain was not in good condition. I had also ridden on the NCR trail a few times and really got my bike dirty. All this probably contributed to gunking up my chain. Combine that with the fact that I have put some good mileage on my bike in a short time, and that chain really needed some attention.
So I went and spent yet more money on supplies. I bought a hard bristled brush, some degreaser, and some chain lube (both dry and wet). I spent about two hours completely cleaning my chain and the rest of my bike's drive train. I then went and applied dry lube which repels dirt better than wet lube, but washes off easier in the rain.
Today riding to work was so much easier. I was easily 3-5 gears higher the entire time and pedaling was just so fluid. Part of that may have been because I took Wednesday off to give my legs a breather, but the difference was so dramatic that the clean chain had to play a role. Looking at my chain and drive train, you can even see how much cleaner it is now.
So yet another lesson learned.
After a day off Wednesday, I rode to work (27 minutes, very, very close to the time it takes me to drive), rode to the MAC, did 65 minutes on the elliptical and another 20 on the arc trainer, then rode home.
I'm getting more comfortable riding in the city and have learned that "taking the lane" as they say is actually better than staying as far right as possible. It forces cars to only pass you when they truly have enough room. It also lets you avoid the perils of the side of the road, and parked car doors opening. It helps that in decent traffic I can pedal hard enough to go the same speed as cars now!
Biking through the city is truly faster (and cheaper) than driving.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Getting Really Impatient
Yesterday I received my free pair of Asics Gel DS Racers that I was supposed to run in for the Kentucky Derby Marathon. That was a tough one to swallow, seeing those shoes at my doorstep. I'm also getting emails from the BAA about how close Boston is.
It makes it tough to let it all go.
Today was a relatively easy day, I biked to and from work and hit the elliptical for 35 minutes. My quads are kind of sore and a little tired, so today was easy and tomorrow I'll probably take off. My damaged tibia is currently giving me no pain at all. In fact, it's been close to a week at least since I've last felt pain. I get nothing when I wake up, nothing at night, nothing with all this cross training. I also feel nothing walking slow, walking fast, or knelling in awkward positions at work (which I have to do a lot).
All of that has to be a good sign. Of course, I can just feel my legs itching to go run. I actually thought to myself, "Just run one test stride, 75 meters, no one would know, not even your doctor." I held back, but those are dangerous thoughts aren't they?
Counting down the days until April 20th...
It makes it tough to let it all go.
Today was a relatively easy day, I biked to and from work and hit the elliptical for 35 minutes. My quads are kind of sore and a little tired, so today was easy and tomorrow I'll probably take off. My damaged tibia is currently giving me no pain at all. In fact, it's been close to a week at least since I've last felt pain. I get nothing when I wake up, nothing at night, nothing with all this cross training. I also feel nothing walking slow, walking fast, or knelling in awkward positions at work (which I have to do a lot).
All of that has to be a good sign. Of course, I can just feel my legs itching to go run. I actually thought to myself, "Just run one test stride, 75 meters, no one would know, not even your doctor." I held back, but those are dangerous thoughts aren't they?
Counting down the days until April 20th...
Monday, April 4, 2011
Keeping it up
I've had a rather epic last 4 days though I miss running so badly right now. I would give up anything to be running!!!
Friday: 65 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Generally speaking, I go with level 13 on the elliptical and hit 10-11 mph most of the time. The stationary bike is usually a "random" workout on level 10.
Saturday: AM: 20 mile bike ride, mostly easy pace on the Gwynns Falls Trail
PM: 45 miles total, one loop around the BWI Airport Loop, then down the B&A Trail all the way across the Naval Academy Bridge. I got completely dumped on by a freak thunderstorm right in the middle of the ride. It was so bad that I couldn't see anything for a while. But it passed, my clothes dried out (mostly) and I finished the ride in about 3.5 hours.
Sunday:
AM: 15 minute aqua jog, 45 minutes on the elliptical, with a bike ride to and from the gym (roughly 5 miles total)
PM: 33 miles. I started on York road but the hills almost killed me, so I cut back to the NCR trail at White Hall, rode up to PA and then back down to Sparks where I started. I'm definitely still not cut out for real hilly bike rides!
Monday:
Rode to work after my usual circle up with Back on My Feet. It was a 10 minute ride there, then a 27 minute ride at haul ass speed to get to work. It's about 6 miles, including time I had to slow down or stop for traffic, I was probably averaging near 15 mph. Not too shabby for a runner on a hybrid with a back pack.
After work, I rode about 2.5 miles over to the MAC, did 30 minutes aqua jogging in the pool and 65 minutes on the elliptical. Then, I biked home (after inhaling a burrito from Chipotle).
It's not running, but it will do...
Friday: 65 minutes on the elliptical, 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Generally speaking, I go with level 13 on the elliptical and hit 10-11 mph most of the time. The stationary bike is usually a "random" workout on level 10.
Saturday: AM: 20 mile bike ride, mostly easy pace on the Gwynns Falls Trail
PM: 45 miles total, one loop around the BWI Airport Loop, then down the B&A Trail all the way across the Naval Academy Bridge. I got completely dumped on by a freak thunderstorm right in the middle of the ride. It was so bad that I couldn't see anything for a while. But it passed, my clothes dried out (mostly) and I finished the ride in about 3.5 hours.
Sunday:
AM: 15 minute aqua jog, 45 minutes on the elliptical, with a bike ride to and from the gym (roughly 5 miles total)
PM: 33 miles. I started on York road but the hills almost killed me, so I cut back to the NCR trail at White Hall, rode up to PA and then back down to Sparks where I started. I'm definitely still not cut out for real hilly bike rides!
Monday:
Rode to work after my usual circle up with Back on My Feet. It was a 10 minute ride there, then a 27 minute ride at haul ass speed to get to work. It's about 6 miles, including time I had to slow down or stop for traffic, I was probably averaging near 15 mph. Not too shabby for a runner on a hybrid with a back pack.
After work, I rode about 2.5 miles over to the MAC, did 30 minutes aqua jogging in the pool and 65 minutes on the elliptical. Then, I biked home (after inhaling a burrito from Chipotle).
It's not running, but it will do...
Friday, April 1, 2011
The future becomes clearer
Thankfully, the organizer for the Kentucky Derby Marathon has found a replacement for me for the 3:20 pace group. My replacement originally could not commit because of a stress fracture in his foot, but is now good to go. This runner apparently suffered a tibial stress fracture in college. It took him 4 months from the initial diagnosis to get back, but he ran on it to the point that it hurt constantly on a day to day basis. I feel essentially little to no pain during my regular routine. All of my cross training is also producing no pain.
I can only hope that I stopped soon enough for a quick comeback.
I also sent an email to the race director for the Delaware Half Marathon, which I am classified as an "elite." My 1:15 predicted time is hardly elite, but for them, they consider it so. Since I have that mark and races to back it up, they have given me the option to defer if I choose to next year, which they do not do for everyone. The race would only cost $20 next year, and I can tell them whenever I want. That means I could theoretically wait until right before the race to bail. I'm going to leave this one until the last moment, but am not too hopeful.
All that's left now is to beg the BAA to defer my entry into Boston. I'm going to eat the Cherry Blossom race fee though, it's just too close to the race and I don't want to bother the organizers with a sob story.
Now it's time to bike to the gym, hit some of that cardio equipment for even longer than yesterday (thinking 1 hour 45 minutes total) then bike back. I'm beginning to realize I can hit this equipment real hard because from a cardio standpoint, I'm in awesome shape. My body is also so used to running that this non impact stuff takes so little out of my legs that I can just keep hitting it hard day after day. It's me versus all these machines to see who or what can last longer. My vote is me!
I can only hope that I stopped soon enough for a quick comeback.
I also sent an email to the race director for the Delaware Half Marathon, which I am classified as an "elite." My 1:15 predicted time is hardly elite, but for them, they consider it so. Since I have that mark and races to back it up, they have given me the option to defer if I choose to next year, which they do not do for everyone. The race would only cost $20 next year, and I can tell them whenever I want. That means I could theoretically wait until right before the race to bail. I'm going to leave this one until the last moment, but am not too hopeful.
All that's left now is to beg the BAA to defer my entry into Boston. I'm going to eat the Cherry Blossom race fee though, it's just too close to the race and I don't want to bother the organizers with a sob story.
Now it's time to bike to the gym, hit some of that cardio equipment for even longer than yesterday (thinking 1 hour 45 minutes total) then bike back. I'm beginning to realize I can hit this equipment real hard because from a cardio standpoint, I'm in awesome shape. My body is also so used to running that this non impact stuff takes so little out of my legs that I can just keep hitting it hard day after day. It's me versus all these machines to see who or what can last longer. My vote is me!
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